Martha Jessenia Gutierrez-Serrano, a 28-year-old woman from Honduras, was arrested after she posed as a 17-year-old student at Hahnville High using false identification. Her mother, 46-year-old Marta Elizeth Serrano-Alvarado, was also arrested.
In a news release posted on Facebook on Wednesday, June 14, St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said that Martha Jessenia Gutierrez-Serrano and her mother were taken into custody on Tuesday morning and charged with one count each of Injuring Public Records.
The sheriff said that the department launched an investigation on May 29 after St. Charles Parish Public Schools notified the office that a suspected adult was enrolled as a student in Hahnville High School in Boutte.
During their investigation, authorities reportedly discovered that Martha Jessenia Gutierrez-Serrano's mom used a false passport and birth certificate to enroll her daughter at the Louisiana school as a 17-year-old.
Martha Jessenia Gutierrez-Serrano came to the United States in 2021
Authorities revealed that Martha Jessenia Gutierrez-Serrano's mom Marta Elizeth Serrano-Alvarado was reportedly living in the US for a few years on an expired visa before her daughter joined her in the country in 2021.
Authorities said that Martha Jessenia Gutierrez-Serrano, who enrolled in Hahnville High on June 18, 2022, and attended all year, did not have any disciplinary issues with the school, nor was she a recipient of a criminal complaint.
“There is no current evidence of any other criminal activity or inappropriate conduct by either Serrano-Alvarado or Gutierrez-Serrano.”Andrés Fuentes, a reporter for Fox News, said that the mother-daughter duo, who were originally from Honduras, fled their home country after their lives were threatened by gangs.
Establishing a possible motive for the deception, the sheriff said that after fleeing to the United States, Martha's mom, in a desperate attempt to secure her daughter’s future, enrolled the 28-year-old in school as a teenager so she could learn English and get a better education. The sheriff noted that based on the 28-year-old’s photo taken after she arrived in the US, she could easily pass as a teenager.
"(She) wanted to become proficient in English and perhaps further her education, which I think we can all be sympathetic with. Unfortunately, whether it was her decision or her mother's decision, it's certainly bad judgment to submit a falsified document to the government."In a statement cited by ABC News, the St. Charles Parish school district said that going forward, they will establish a better screening process for students.
"(We) will enhance processes to determine the authenticity of enrollment documents for current and future students as well as modify policy and procedures as warranted."Meanwhile, Andrés Fuentes said that the mother-daughter duo are currently in immigration custody and are facing an imminent possibility of being deported back to Honduras.
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